Our IEP Plan for School Anxiety

Update- 2nd Semester of 8th Grade

Now that the current school year is half over, I felt it was a good point to share an update on the first semester of my daughter’s 8th grade school year.  This schedule was proposed by the Specia Education team in early September due to my daughter’s anxiety making it difficult for her to attend academic classes with her peers.  Even after a semester with this schedule, I have a love/hate relationship with it. I will explain my view of the pros and cons, once I share the details.

If you read this post then you know the struggles we have gone through over the years.  Here is the article for the way we intended this year to go.  Based on this post, it is obvious we had to make some changes to her IEP.  

Every decision I make is a challenge as I must balance the impact that it has on the anxiety piece, the academic piece, and the social-emotional piece of her life. It seems that when something is a “pro” in one area, it then falls into the “con” of another area.  The best advice I can give you is to do your best to balance the overall well being of your child, knowing that there will never be a perfect plan and something will always have to suffer slightly.

Why We Had to Change the IEP

It became clear within the first few weeks of school that J’s anxiety was incredibly high and, once again, negatively impacting her social and academic well being at school.  While she was completing all work and assignments in the intervention room, which is very important, she was missing all general education classroom time where lessons are taught and discussed, missing group work, and missing time with a licensed teacher.  I was very happy that she was getting ready and going to school with very little difficulty (which is a huge improvement from last year), and completing her assignments as asked (which did not happen last year due to extreme anxiety), she was missing too much instruction in order to be sufficiently prepared for high school the following year.  She was also not establishing any social relationships in this situation.

Internally, I battled being relieved that she was mostly relaxed and completing work at school versus the need to gain academic instruction to close her already large gap.  I know from experience that the farther she falls behind academically, the higher her anxiety increases because she feels stupid and behind. (Due to her lack of classroom attendance over the years, along with a diagnosis of dyslexia and dyscalculia, she is behind her peers academically.)  The school suggested that J attend a modified school day along with home instruction. My immediate reaction was “no” but through a lot of open dialogue, we created a plan that has proven successful in many areas, but still causes many sleepless nights for this mama when I think of the future.  

 

Current IEP Plan

Currently, J arrives at school 10 minutes after the day has started.  For the first few weeks, a teacher met her at the car. J then chose to walk into school independently where the teacher would meet her to start the day.  This allows her to avoid the chaos of arrival and to shield her from other students if her morning is emotionally challenging. Thankfully, drop-offs have been exactly how we had hoped- calm and relaxed!  Once at school, her first period is spent in a study hall where she can mentally prepare for the day and complete any missed assignments, study guides, etc. Her second and third periods, math and science,  are general education classes she attends with an aide. This aide has been “taught” ways to help Julia manage her anxiety while in the classroom setting. J is allowed to take short breaks as needed, with the understanding that she return back to class.  She is also able to have her phone with her to use the Calm App as needed or a coloring app for quiet, short breaks within the classroom. As far as I know, the phone has not been misused.

At the end of the 3rd period, she is picked up for the day.  As parents, we did not want J coming home and spending the day relaxed since technically it is still a school day.  At home, she eats lunch, then completes work from the school day, supplemental work I have provided, online accessible school programs like ALEKS or Lexia, homework, or any other projects.  She also has a specific period of time where she focuses on mindfulness and anxiety management skills. When the weather is cooperative she spends time outside as well. Once the official school day has ended, J returns to school four days per week, for one hour of “home instruction” each day.  This instruction is taught by a classroom teacher to meet her English and Social Studies requirements. She completes the same work as the students in her general education class are learning.

 

My Thoughts on the Current IEP Plan

This schedule is nearly impossible for families with two working parents or a single parent.  Due to her anxiety, I had to quit my job. As the school year has gone on, I have needed to find a way to earn some income for our family.  I now sub regularly which allows me a bit more flexibility. Between my husband, my parents, and myself, we manage to transport her as needed and spend quality time working with her academically.  

I can honestly say J’s academics have improved greatly over the past semester with this schedule.  She is more interested and invested in the school work that she is required to complete. I definitely do not think that this schedule will close the large academic gap she currently has, and I, unfortunately, do not believe that she will be fully prepared academically for high school.  However, I am thrilled with the progress that she has made in a short amount of time. Additionally, her confidence in herself as a learner has increased which is incredibly important.

Obviously, the “pros” of this plan are the increased performance and confidence in academic areas.  Additionally, her shortened school day decreases her anxiety at home and at school since she is more comfortable with her school day.  With the shortened school day, comes fewer opportunities for peer interactions. J is a very social person who is struggling tremendously right now due to her lack of friendships.  She spends very little time with peers while at school and, due to anxiety, is not a part of anything outside of school. This is the area we are focusing on right now. Within the next week, we are hoping to add one more class to her schedule and for her to attend lunch.  Together, these should offer her more opportunities for building friendships which will continue to increase her confidence. By adding more hours to her day, she is also building her stamina and confidence in managing anxiety when it arises. She will need this in order to secure a job in the future.  

Overall, I am extremely appreciative that the school district has provided a plan that allows my daughter to be as successful as possible at this point in her life.  I do my best to stay present and not put too much thought into her future. With the combination of time, a supportive school, and incredible therapy, my daughter is closing in on a life not dictated by anxiety.  And that is worth every sacrifice we have made.